Show and Tell - 1970 and 1971 Topps Super sets
BaltimoreYankee
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I really enjoy this site because it affords the opportunity to show the cards I like and to see the cards that others here enjoy.
I believe the early 1970's was the pinnacle for Topps in terms of coming out with extra products like inserts and test items. 1970-71 baseball included Coins, Greatest Moments, Story Booklets, Rub Offs and the Super sets.
The 1970 Super set consisted of 42 cards and I believe they came in packs of 3. Due to the small set size, a whopping 43% of the set consists of Hall of Famers. Cards measure approximately 5 1/2 X 3 1/4 inches. The fronts feature great photography on a borderless card with only the photo and a facsimile signature. Here are some of my favorites:
Backs are almost identical to the 1970 Topps regular issue set. Check out this Pete Rose back - the cartoon section has the same text but a slightly different cartoon.
For 1971, Topps expanded the set to 63 cards. This diluted the ratio of HOFers to 33% of the set.. Here are some from the '71 set:
Again, backs are very similar to the regular issue set but notice the different photo on Yaz (I checked 2 other '71's - Clemente has a different picture but Brock has the same - I'll have to check the other backs some time)
I highly recommend these sets especially to those who came of age in the '70's!
Comments
Very cool - I’ve never really paid much attention to the Supers but I’m starting to appreciate the 70’s releases like these more and more.
I really like the Supers!
I have a raw 1970 Supers baseball set and a complete PSA graded 1970 Topps Supers football set.
I bought the complete football set off of eBay for next to nothing over 10 years ago. The previous owner submitted them all at the same time, as the certification numbers are in sequence. The Unitas is a 9, the O.J. and Sayers are 8s, but the majority of the rest of the set are mid grade. For the most part, I can't even tell the difference between the high grade and mid grade cards.
Never really followed or seen a lot of these before. So cool.
Man, did Clemente ever take a bad photo? That guy was the coolest.
Thanx for sharing Daniel - I agree - am a fan. It appears that in 70s there was a dearth of products compared to today. The Supers were a fun set to collect back then.
The 1970 Super of Tom Seaver pictured above is interesting. That is the photo used in a mock up of the 1970 Topps regular issue card that appears on the 1970 cello box. My very first introduction into collecting was in 1970 and I remember that box and wanting to get the Seaver card (I didn't until many years later). I would have been disappointed to get the portrait as I feel the mock up would have been a home run of a card.
Cello box (not mine):
Actual Topps issue:
Love these. Supers and 64 Topps Giants were very cool for their era!
Not really sure why these are so undervalued. They are pretty scarce, and finding them in higher grades can be incredibly tough.
Love them too, thanks for the post. And you’re correct, 3 cards to a 10 cent wax pack.
Current obsession, all things Topps 1969 - 1972
Here's a few from my 1970 Topps Super Football set.
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I agree that the 1970 Seaver "mock up" card would have been a true Topps beauty. Can you imagine both the 1970 Nolan Ryan high number card (one of the most attractive cards ever produced) along with the 1970 Tom Seaver "mock up" card in the same annual set? Wow!!
I wonder why Topps never used the "mock up" photo in the standard 1970 set or any modern releases....